


Shadows of the Past

by Kimmimaru



Category: Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Crimes & Criminals, Gen, Human Trafficking, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Implied/Referenced Underage, Non-Graphic Violence, Organized Crime, Past Child Abuse, Past Sexual Abuse, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:42:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24571738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimmimaru/pseuds/Kimmimaru
Summary: After Reno goes against orders and murders a man the Turks needed for questioning Veld must discover the secrets surrounding Reno's dirty past before the President orders his death.(inspired by watching far too many crime shows, I wanted to do a Turk investigation fic and this happened. Non-graphic anything, it's all already happened so it's talked about in non-graphic detail. Please heed the tags)
Kudos: 25





	Shadows of the Past

**Author's Note:**

> So...I did another thing. I've been watching too much crime drama. Enjoy.

“Reno,” Veld said, entering his office and closing the door softly behind him. He moved to his desk, a file clasped in his hands and leaned back against it. He looked across the room to the sofa where Reno sat, legs drawn to his chest and head bowed so his red hair obscured his face. His hands were clasped firmly around his knees. Veld sighed when Reno didn't react, he opened the file and pulled out a picture. He stepped closer and held the image out, “We know what you did.” He said, voice heavy, “What we don't know is why.”  
  
Reno finally lifted his head, eyes fixing on the photograph. It showed the corpse of a man in a dark green shirt, grey-blond hair matted with blood and his face beaten to a pulp. Reno looked away.  
  
“If you don't tell me I can't help you.” Veld grabbed a nearby chair and sat down opposite Reno, he leaned forward. “The president doesn't know the details yet but I can't hold off from telling him forever.”  
  
“What're you gonna do, yo? Put me down?”  
  
Veld sighed, looking down at the photo. “I'd rather it didn't come to that.”  
  
Reno laughed humourlessly, pushing hair from his eyes. His goggles were missing, his shirt still stained with dried blood. Some spattered his cheek, smudged and drying as he rubbed at it. “Shouldn't I be in...a cell...or something.” He mumbled finally, biting at the corner of his thumb. He frowned over Veld's shoulder, “I killed a guy we were 'sposed to bring in alive. I didn't do the job. Arrest me...or do whatever you're gonna do and get it over with.”  
  
“Reno, tell me why. This isn't like you, I trained you myself I know how much pride you take in doing the job. So, explain to me what happened. Who was Peterson to you?”  
  
Reno sighed, his eyes shadowed by dark circles, he wrapped his fingers around his wrists and ducked his head again. Veld had never seen him look more like the seventeen year old he was. “Peterson...” He scoffed, rolling his eyes, “Not his real name, yo.”  
  
“An alias?” Veld blinked in surprise, “We should've known that. That's not in his file.”  
  
“It wouldn't be, yo.” Reno tilted his head, “I made sure of it.”  
  
Veld's hands tightened on the folder, “Reno...”  
  
“Tampering with classified intel, another mark on my record right?” Reno slowly began to uncurl, boots hitting the floor as he stretched his legs out. He ran both hands through his hair and looked away from Veld, “Do what you gotta do, yo. I ain't gonna talk.”  
  
Veld sighed heavily and rubbed at the bridge of his nose, “I'm not your enemy.”  
  
Reno just gave him a blank look.  
  
“None of us are. We look after our own, if you give me a reason for this mess I can try and help you with the President. I can't do that if you remain silent. At the moment it looks like you have connections to Avalanche through Peterson, it looks like you were protecting him until we decided to bring him in for questioning and then...you killed him. This is more than incriminating, Reno. This is worth an execution at least.”  
  
Reno stood up, he paced across the room, around the conference table in the centre and stood at the opposite side staring at the wall. He wrapped both arms around his stomach, eyes misted as he stared at an innocuous picture on the wall.   
  
“Please, let us help you.” Veld continued, following the boy and putting a hand on his shoulder. Reno shrugged him off, taking two rapid steps away and shook his head.  
  
“You can't help me.” He muttered bitterly.  
  
“Not until you tell me exactly who Peterson was,” Veld watched Reno's shoulders rise, eyes narrowing. Veld knew what he looked like when he was planning on running. “I'll have to put you in a cell if you try and run.” He warned, taking up a position between Reno and the door.  
  
Reno laughed, a nasty, bitter sound as he shook his head, “How long've we known each other, yo?”  
  
“Since you were thirteen,”   
  
“Five years.” Reno kicked idly at the edge of a rug, he sniffed and sighed.   
  
“And you still can't fully trust me.”  
  
“Trust gets you killed, yo.” Reno shrugged, moving back to the sofa and sitting back down. He hung his head again and went quiet.  
  
Veld sighed again, “Let's begin by walking through last night.” He said finally, going back to his chair and sitting down again. He tugged on his trousers, giving himself something to do with his hands as he set the file in his lap and folded them on top of it. He looked at Reno, “I gave you and Rude the order to apprehend a man calling himself Francis Peterson, he was suspected of being involved in the terrorist group Avalanche. He was hiding somewhere in sector 7's slums.” He cleared his throat and checked the file, “Rude said that you reached his hideout at 19.32 yesterday evening. You waited an hour, casing the area to ensure he was in and then Rude wanted to move in...” Veld trailed off, watching Reno's body language intently. Reno was staring at his boots, hands dangling between his knees. “Rude suggested you both move in on the target but you told him no. You ordered him to remain behind and if anything went wrong you'd call him for back up. Am I right?”  
  
Reno shrugged.  
  
“Then you proceeded into the apartment building despite Rude's protests and against specific orders not to attempt to apprehend the target alone, is that correct?”  
  
“Sure, whatever.” Reno slumped back against the sofa, arms folded firmly across his chest as he glared across the room.  
  
“Rude waited twenty minutes and when you failed to come out he went in after you. Rude told me that when he reached the target's room he found you, bent over his body and covered in blood. His exact words were; he looked like a wild animal, I've never seen him like that before. You didn't tell him what happened or why you'd killed the target. Rude called in clean-up and called Tseng. Tseng alerted me to the situation at approximately 21.27 pm.”  
  
“Sounds about right, yo.”   
  
“Reno, help yourself out. This...this doesn't look good.”  
  
“Then go ahead and arrest me.” Reno looked up, a challenge in his gaze. The hectic energy that usually surrounded him was buzzing through the air like electricity, “Arrest me or let me go, chief. Call in Heidegger, he'd sure get a kick outta this.”  
  
“Would you like a drink?” Veld said abruptly, rising.  
  
“What?” Reno looked up with a frown.  
  
“I'm going to get some coffee.” Veld went to the door, glancing back over his shoulder, “Would you like anything?”  
  
Reno shook his head and Veld left the office, locking it behind him. He leaned back against the door and sighed, “Tseng?” Tseng rose from a desk he was sat at.  
  
“Sir?”  
  
“I need you to dig up everything you can on Peterson,”  
  
“But I thought we already did that,”  
  
“So did I but according to Reno he was using a fake name. Reno got into his records and changed everything. We need to find the connection between them asap.”  
  
Tseng glanced at the door, “How did he do that without us noticing?”  
  
“We trusted him,” Veld said simply.  
  
“Do you think he has any connection to Avalanche, sir? A double agent?”  
  
“I doubt it. He's hiding something but his loyalty to us is without question.”  
  
“How can we be sure of that?” Tseng asked, his voice dropping.  
  
“Because I saved him.” Veld said firmly, “He feels like he owes me. Go do that background check, if you find anything, even something insignificant I want to know about it.”  
  
“Yes sir,” Tseng turned back to the desk he was at and started up the computer.   
  
“And tell Rude not to worry so much, we'll do everything we can to help.” Veld assured him with a small smile, “He can't remain silent forever.”  
  
Soon Veld returned, coffee in hand. He set his mug down and handed Reno a bottle of water. Reno turned away, ignoring the offer. Veld put it aside and sat back down in his seat. “We're looking into Peterson now,” He said, taking a sip and pulling a face, “I need to ask for a better coffee machine, this is basically just brown water.” He cleared his throat and continued, “If you're hiding something, we will find it.”  
  
Reno lay back on the sofa, one arm covering his eyes, “I'll be dead before you do, yo.” He said quietly, a deep sigh escaping his lips.  
  
“I won't let that happen.” Veld assured him, Reno's lips lifted upward in a tiny, weak little smile.  
  
XXX  
  
The conference table almost filled the room. Veld entered just behind Scarlet, he took his seat and waited while the others followed suit. When the President arrived everyone fell quiet.   
  
“So, Veld, let's start this meeting off with what went on with Peterson.” The President said, leaning back in his seat and fixing his cold blue eyes on Veld.   
  
Veld rose, hands behind his back, “We're still looking into the matter, sir. As soon as we have more information-”  
  
“Isn't that your job?” Scarlet drawled, tapping her sharp red nails on the table as she fixed a smirk on Veld. “Gathering information?”  
  
“It is and we are doing that, director.” Veld replied smoothly, “We looked into Peterson's background and found that there are...missing pieces. We're looking deeper, I have every faith that the team will find something.”  
  
The President frowned, “I thought you were arranging a mission to apprehend the man? Did it not go ahead?”  
  
“We did, sir. However Peterson was dead.” Veld said carefully, “We're investigating the matter and, as I said, we will bring you anything we find out.”  
  
“Bah, sounds like you know something already.” Heidegger scowled, “Mr. President, allow me to-”  
  
“If we bring in the military Peterson's contacts will run. We can't afford to lose any leads.” Veld insisted.  
  
“Father, if we wait-” Rufus spoke up but his father waved a hand and he shut his mouth with a click. A glare etching itself across his face.  
  
“Veld, just shut the whole damn operation down as soon as you can. The sooner we cut off the snakes head the better. Avalanche are a damn nuisance, if this Peterson is dead, find whoever killed him and squeeze them for information. Whoever their leader is we'll find them and put an end to the entire organisation.”  
  
Veld's fingers twitched as he clenched them, “Of course sir,” He said and took his seat again. Scarlet tilted her head and shot him a small, suspicious frown before returning her eyes to the President again.   
  
As soon as the meeting was over Veld rose and made his way to the door, he managed to get to it before the President called his name. He closed his eyes briefly before turning back. “Sir?”  
  
The President shifted in his seat, picking up a gold cigar case. He took one out, stuck it between his teeth and lit it, blowing smoke into the air. “You have someone in custody.” He growled, flicking some ash into the tray on the table. “Don't think I'm that stupid, this is _my_ damn company. If you try and lie to me again, I'll have your head.”   
  
Veld bit back a sharp retort, “My apologies, sir. I only want the details of our investigation kept as secret as possible until we're ready. We can't risk any information getting back to anyone involved, it could jeopardise everything.”  
  
“What's the boys name again?” The President asked, blowing more smoke into the air.   
  
“Boy?”  
  
“The one you hired five years ago. The traitor. His name, Veld.”  
  
“Reno. Sir.” Veld replied stiffly, “He's one of our best agents.”  
  
“Not anymore. I want to know everything he does and as soon as he's done talking, I want him dead. I'm not taking any chances on a security breach, Veld...especially not from _your_ department.”  
  
Veld nodded stiffly, “I believe that he's no risk to the company sir, if I did I would never have hired him. Reno's loyalty to us is without question.”  
  
“Then why'd he kill a source of information? He knew the man, that much is obvious and you said yourself Peterson had connections to Avalanche. I can't have a Turk going rogue, you know that. Get everything he knows through whatever means necessary and then take him out. If not I'll have your job and the heads of every damn person who worked with him, do you understand?”  
  
“What if I can prove to you that Reno's not a risk?” Veld offered, “He's an essential member of my department, he's good at his job. In five years he's risen fast through our ranks, he's usually professional and cool headed. I've put him in charge of plenty of missions before and never have I had an issue. Let me prove his loyalty to you and then I'll find Peterson's contacts.”  
  
The President sighed, “Fine. If the kid proves he's not a liability I'll let you keep him but if I smell even a hint of deceit I'll give him to Scarlet to play with.” He trailed off, letting the warning linger in the air between them like the smoke from his cigar.  
  
“Yes sir, thank you.” Veld turned back to the door.  
  
“You have one week.”  
  
Veld nodded and left.  
  
XXX  
  
“A week?” Reno sat up on the bed, frowning at Veld. “He gave you a week?”  
  
“It's imperative that you tell us everything. The President is not a patient man, Reno.” Veld shifted in the hard plastic seat. The cell was small, containing a bed, a sink and a toilet. Outside the door they could hear guards chatting to one another.  
  
“You know I can't.” Reno shook his head, his pony tail spilling over his shoulder. He sighed and closed his eyes, his hands tightening their grip on the bed sheets. “I just...can't.”  
  
“We're going to find out either way. Don't make us use force.”  
  
Reno grinned, a weak mockery of his usual smile, “Maybe you'll find out the truth but not before I'm dead, yo.”  
  
“What's so important that you're willing to die for it?” Veld shook his head, “Nothing is worth your life, especially not Peterson.”  
  
“I'm not protecting _him_.” Reno sneered, disgust etching itself across his face.  
  
“Then tell us what's going on!”  
  
Reno lay back down, hands behind his head. He closed his eyes, one knee bent.   
  
“Reno.” Veld sighed. “I don't know how much longer we have,”  
  
Reno opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling, “It's ok, chief. I know you think you're doing the right thing.”  
  
Veld rose, his chair scraping across the floor. He went to the door and knocked, it was opened by a security officer and Veld stepped out into the hall. As it closed Veld saw Reno roll onto his side, facing the wall.   
  
XXX  
  
“So...Veld's really desperate, huh?” Reno said as Rude stood in the door way. “Sending you of all people.”  
  
“Veld didn't send me.” Rude replied as the door shut behind him, locking with a soft beep.  
  
Reno frowned, looking up at the ceiling. He tapped his fingers against the metal bed frame as Rude walked to the seat, lowering himself into it. “Why're you here then, yo?”  
  
“To make sure you're ok.” Rude said, he looked over to the corner where a camera blinked. “You're running out of time, Tseng's working on finding all the shit you hid. When we find out the truth...what're you gonna do then?”  
  
Reno sighed, “Then you'll know. I'm not saying anythin'.”  
  
“Reno...” Rude hesitated, running a hand over his head as he leaned back in his chair, “I've never seen you lose it like that. That guy...he was a mess.”  
  
Reno's lips curled up into a smirk, “Yeah, he was.” He sounded satisfied, “Ruined my suit, yo.”  
  
“I don't get it.” Rude shook his head, “That was more than a simple hit, that was personal. Revenge? You knew each other, it's why you wanted to go in alone. We've worked together for five years, I know you.”  
  
“You don't know shit, man.” Reno glared at Rude from beneath his eyelashes.   
  
“Ok. Fine. I don't know shit. What now, Reno? What're we supposed to do?”  
  
“When I'm dead, you get promoted, yo.”  
  
“I've never given a shit about promotions and you know that.” Rude snapped, “Don't be an idiot. Talk to Veld.”  
  
“Nope.” Reno settled himself more comfortably in his bed, “Ya know what would be good?” He said, smiling wider, “A burger. I get a last meal, right? I want a burger. And fries....maybe one of those milkshakes from that place in Sector 8...uh...Darcy's? Yeah there.”  
  
Rude sighed, shaking his head, “You and I can go there together when this shit is over.” He promised and rose.   
  
Rude reached the door before Reno sat up, he looked back and raised an eyebrow. Reno looked at him, “Rude...” His voice dropped a little and he looked away, “You're too fucking good for this job...you're the best of us, yo...I just...” He whispered, “Fuck it. It doesn't matter.” He lay back down again.  
  
Rude swallowed, shaking his head briefly before the door opened and he left.  
  
XXX  
  
Tseng rubbed at his aching eyes. The computer screen etched into the darkness behind his lids. He groaned and picked up his coffee mug, looking into it. He rose and went to the coffee machine, turning it on. The door opened and he turned to see Rude. “How is he?” He asked while the coffee bubbled.  
  
“I don't know. Hard to tell with him.” Rude shrugged, grabbing his own mug and setting it next to Tseng's. “You found anything?”  
  
“I'm not sure.” Tseng frowned over to his computer, “Looking into the past of a man with a fake name is impossible so I started to dig into Reno's instead. If they knew each other something would come up.”  
  
“He was a slum kid, right? There's no info on him.”  
  
“He was an orphan but he must have had parents. Someone gave birth to him. I've been looking into all the orphanages in sectors four and five. So far, no mention of any boys taken in around the time Reno's parents supposedly died.”  
  
Rude frowned and, as the pot finished, he poured both himself and Tseng some coffee. “His tattoos. Did he ever tell you what they meant? He had them before he worked here.”  
  
Tseng's eyes widened, “Of course. They're unique.” He grabbed his mug and sat down at his desk again, typing rapidly. “If I narrow the search to boys with strange facial markings-ah, there.” Rude stepped up behind him and leaned down, looking at the screen. “Boy found wondering the scrap yards of sector seven...” Tseng frowned, “He lied to us.”  
  
“He doesn't trust easily.” Rude reminded him.  
  


“He was five years old and was taken to the Institute for Homeless Children where he stayed until it burned down in a fire a few years later. Most of the children died, there's no mention of any survivors in this article.”  
  
“How does such a young kid survive that?”  
  
Tseng shook his head, “He'd have survived if he'd started it.”  
  
Rude grunted, fingers tightening on the back of Tseng's chair, “You think he killed all those kids?”  
  
“Either that or...” Tseng dug through more reams of information, “Their records are disorganised but there is mention of one of the men who ran the place. His name was Freddie Banner.” Tseng brought up a picture of the man standing in front of a run down building, a bunch of children stood behind him in lines.   
  
“That's him. That's Peterson.” Rude scanned the line of children and spotted one of the younger boys with spiky hair and thread-bare clothes.  
  
“And that's Reno.” Tseng pointed, “He looks half-starved.” He muttered under his breath.

  
“So, Peterson took Reno in. It explains Reno's desire to protect him but...why'd he kill him? Why burn down the orphanage?”  
  
Tseng shook his head, “I'll keep looking.” He said and leaned forward, putting fingers to the keyboard.  
  
XXX  
  
When Veld entered Reno's cell he dropped a photograph onto his lap. Reno looked up from where he was sat on the bed eating. Slowly he set down his bread and brushed crumbs from his fingers as Veld moved to take the only other chair.  
  
“Freddie Banner.” Veld said, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, “Does that name mean anything to you?”  
  
Reno finished chewing and swallowed, picking up the photograph. He stared at it before crumpling it up in his hand and tossing it over his shoulder. He returned to his food.  
  
“Reno,” Veld insisted, “Who was he? Why did you protect him for so long? What did he have on you?”  
  
Reno continued eating in silence. Staring intently at his plate even as his stomach turned cold.  
  
“Reno, talk to me. We're running out of time.”  
  
“Cheif?”  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“Could you do me a favour, yo?”  
  
“What is it?”  
  
Reno finally looked up, “I got a...savings account. Most of my paycheck's been going into it since I started workin' here. I'm gonna give you an address, have the money transferred into the account listed there.”  
  
“I can't do that.” Veld shook his head, “Unless you can prove to us that you're not working for Avalanche.”  
  
“I'm not.” Reno shook his head, “Why would I, yo?”  
  
“We don't know. You won't talk to us.”  
  
“Got nothin' to say.” Reno stared down at his tray, Veld couldn't get another word from him.  
  
XXX  
  
“Why would he ask to have his savings transferred?” Tseng asked as Veld stood at the window and looked out over Midgar. “He's...giving money to someone. If he is we can trace his account activity.”  
  
“Do it.” Veld ordered, “And if we find out who that money's going to maybe we can finally learn the truth.” He shook his head, “What is going through his mind?”  
  
“He's not just protecting someone, I believe he's protecting himself.” Tseng said, moving a few steps closer to his boss. “He was on his own for so long, it makes sense that learning to trust other people takes a long time.”  
  
“Hm, reminds of someone.” Veld smiled and glanced back at Tseng who looked away. “You didn't trust me for a long time.”  
  
“My situation was...different.”  
  
“We won't know how different until we discover the truth.”  
  
“I'll get on that, sir.”  
  
“Good.”   
  
XXX  
  
“Did you really burn down the orphanage?” Rude asked the moment he stepped through the door.  
  
“Hello to you to, partner.” Reno drawled, stretched out on the bed like he was on vacation.   
  
“Reno.” Rude growled, advancing a few paces, hands curling into fists.  
  
“And what if I did, yo? What if I burned the place to the ground with hundreds of kids inside?” He raised an eyebrow.  
  
“I...” Rude shook his head, “I thought you were better than that. _Child_ murder, Reno?”  
  
“Never said I did do it, yo.” Reno closed his eyes and sighed.  
  
“Who else could it've been? You were the only survivor. That _is_ you in that picture, right? So...what, you keep Peterson on your payroll just to shut him up? Make sure we didn't find out when we hired you?”  
  
Reno frowned but didn't refute Rude's assumptions.  
  
“You were a kid yourself...I don't get it. None of it fits.”   
  
“You don't wanna get it, partner.” Reno muttered finally, opening his eyes to stare up at the ceiling. He'd almost memorised every crack in the plaster by now. “Better that you don't.”  
  
Rude fell silent. He watched his partner lie still for a while before he rose and left without another word.   
  
XXX  
  
“Reno's financial records are unusual.” Tseng told Veld as they sat in the office, he leaned forward, bringing up the information as Veld looked over at his screen. “He's been paying out regular amounts of gil to three different accounts, for about four years now.”  
  
“Did you track down the recipients?” Veld asked.  
  
“One account belonged to Peterson, sir.” Tseng shook his head, “It's incriminating as it is but I also found that one of the other accounts is listed as belonging to someone named Anya Thomas, she lives topside in Sector 7.”  
  
“Where the families of Shinra employees live? Is she registered as Reno's family?” Veld frowned, running a hand over his beard.  
  
“No sir, there's no record of them being related. However, I found copies of her ID and she looks very similar to this girl,” He pointed at the old photo of the orphanage. Stood beside Reno was a young girl of about 17, her long dark hair tied back with a scarf. She had a horrific scar down one side of her face, bisecting her right eye. Veld compared it to the image on the screen of a young woman in her twenties.  
  
“Then how did she end up in that area? How did Reno pull this off?”  
  
Tseng brought up some more documents, “He didn't. The third account belongs to a man working for Urban Development, his name's Gary Thomas.”  
  
“Husband and wife?” Veld mused, “Interesting. What connections do they have to Avalanche?”  
  
“None that I can find. Reno obviously knows this Anya personally, maybe he's been helping her for some reason. It looks perfectly innocent.”  
  
“On the surface.” Veld leaned back, frowning across the room, “We need to bring Anya in.”  
  
“Sir,” Tseng nodded and rose, “I'll take Rude with me.”  
  
“Good. Don't scare her, if she is innocent we just want to understand what Reno's giving her money for...if she's connected to Avalanche there's a chance she may fight if she believes she's being taken in for that.”  
  
“We'll be subtle, sir.”  
  
“Go.”  
  
XXX  
  
Reno rose when Veld came for him again, he remained still as several security guards moved in on him and slapped cuffs around his wrists. Reno turned his hands over, watching the light glint off of them. He took a slow, deep breath, “Is this it, yo?” He asked.  
  
“You have three more days.” Veld said quietly, gesturing to the door, “That will change if you fight us.”  
  
Reno nodded, “No fighting, got it.” He followed Veld through the door out of his cell and down a small corridor, they stopped briefly at a gate while the guard on the other side opened it and then they moved on. He was taken to a small room that he was by now very familiar with. A large mirror on one wall, an annoying, flickering strip light and a desk with two chairs were the only things in there. Reno was guided to the chair opposite the mirror and pushed so he sat down. His cuffs were secured to a bolt in the table. Reno tugged at them experimentally before letting his gaze drift around the room, “Kinda weird being on this side of the table, yo.” He leaned back, seeming relaxed and unaffected. Veld glanced down and noticed how low and jagged his nails were and knew it was an act.   
  
“Stay here.” He told the guards who took up places either side of the door. He left Reno alone who watched him go with a small frown.  
  
“Mrs Thomas.” Veld said as he stepped into the room on the other side of the mirror, “Welcome to Shinra electric power company, we're sorry for bringing you here under these circumstances but...we need your help.” He looked over at the woman who was standing against the wall with her arms wrapped around her middle, her single working eye was fixed on the window opposite.   
  
“I'm happy to help if I can,” She said, glancing at Veld before returning her gaze to Reno again, he watched her frown and her lips press tighter together.  
  
“Good. Do you know that man?” He pointed at Reno.  
  
The woman twitched, “No.” She said, “I'm sorry, we don't know each other. Why? Is he...a criminal?”  
  
“We're not sure yet.” Veld told her, “According to records you two attended the same orphanage in Sector seven.”  
  
Anya looked at him, “Lots of kids went there,” She said blandly, “I can't know everyone who ended up in that place.”  
  
“Of course not, I understand.” Veld went to the window and pressed a button, causing the window to turn transparent on both sides. He watched Reno look up, his lips parting and eyes widening as he recognised the person on the other side. Veld glanced behind him to see Anya's fist clench, she lifted her chin and turned away dismissively. “Hm. Well, I'm sorry you couldn't help us. Can I get you anything while you're here? A coffee? Tea?”  
  
“Coffee...please,” Anya continued to stare at Reno through the glass as Veld left the room and shut the door behind him. He went to a nearby break room and started to make some coffee, he was interrupted by Tseng.  
  
“Sir, I've done some digging into Anya Thomas and her husband. Husband is clean, a couple of minor incidents as a child, petty theft encouraged by older children and things like that but the woman...” Tseng trailed off, shaking his head, “She's been a suspect in several high profile murder cases as an adult, when she was a child she was arrested for suspected sabotage at a Shinra-run rally. They released her when they considered her too young. She has few friends but does have at least two acquaintances who have connections to underground human trafficking groups. One was arrested and executed for the crimes and the other just disappeared. Several officers interviewed her but again released her.”   
  
Veld stared at Tseng for a few seconds before sighing and shaking his head, “So that's it. Human Trafficking?”   
  
“You think...Reno...?” Tseng glanced behind him to check the security officers weren't around, “He wouldn't. Surely?”  
  
Veld poured two mugs of coffee, adding milk and sugar. “In the slums it's every man for himself. It wouldn't surprise me that Reno would have had to do some unsavoury things to survive down there.”  
  
“He was a child.” Tseng shook his head in disbelief. “He couldn't have been older than ten.”  
  
“Maybe not but children are easier to manipulate and he would make an excellent lure. A lost child looking for his mother, with a face like Reno's? Any decent person would want to help.”  
  
“What are we going to do next, sir?”  
  
“I'm going to talk to Reno one last time.” Veld sipped his own coffee, sighing.   
  
“And if he still refuses to talk?”  
  
“Then the president will deal with him. You speak to Anya, watch her closely.” Veld pushed himself away from the table and took the two mugs with him.   
  
Reno straightened when Veld entered the room and sat down opposite him. He watched Reno's hands slide across the table, closer to his body. “Explain to us why you're sending money to a woman who's been involved in at least two cases of high profile murder and an attempted terrorist event?”  
  
Reno's eyes moved over Veld's shoulder to the window before snapping back again, he pressed his lips together and hung his head.  
  
“Reno, you were a child. You obviously didn't consent to anything these people made you do-”  
  
“Didn't I? How'd you know?” Reno muttered, lifting his gaze and fixing Veld with a piercing stare, “Turns out you don't know anything about me.”  
  
“Obviously not.” Veld sighed, taking a sip of coffee, “But I know you well enough to know that you don't kill innocent people without a good reason.”  
  
“I've killed plenty of innocent people for this company, yo.”  
  
“Maybe so but you've never killed children, you've never hurt anyone without either being ordered to or they attack first. Yet you burned down an orphanage full of children as young as four years old, you killed a man who took you in after he found you on the streets. You gave money to a woman who, by all accounts, seems to have a record of violence dating back years. I don't understand, Reno. Tell us. This is your last chance, the president needs answers but so do we.”  
  
Reno sighed, shoulders slumping, “You know what she is, yo?”  
  
“We have a good idea, yes.”  
  
“The orphanage was a front,” Reno began hesitantly, eyes averted firmly from the window as he glared at the floor, “Peterson was using it to cover a huge human trafficking ring he was running. Kids would come in, if they were pretty enough they got shipped off again to fuck knows where, yo. It was gonna happen to me too but...” Reno curled in on himself, staring at his hands, “But it didn't. Anya looked after me, protected me. She...she told me I had to earn my keep or I'd go the same way as the others. So I didn't have a choice, right? I had to help them. They sent me out to lure in grown ups. I pretended to be lost, asked them where my ma was and...and they fell for it. Peterson would be waiting down some alley and he'd knock 'em out. I'd never see them again. I didn't really understand what was going on but if I didn't do what they said...well...I tried once and that was all the warning I needed not to try again.” His hand rose to touch his cheek bones where the tattoos were. He let it fall back to the table with a muted thud.   
  
“You were a child.” Veld said quietly, “You were manipulated. It's not your fault.”  
  
“You think I don't know that?!” Reno snapped, suddenly angry, “I didn't even know what the hell they were doing. I just...I just wanted to survive.”  
  
“What happened then? When I found you you were on the street.”  
  
Reno nodded, “Peterson told me to burn down the orphanage when the locals started to get suspicious, some of the local watch were sniffing around. He didn't like that so he made me kill everyone inside so they couldn't talk. Then he took me to some run down apartment, pretended like I was his son. Anya was living somewhere else by then, she...she couldn't protect me anymore.” Reno's eyes grew glassy, he looked off into the distance, lost in memory. “When I turned thirteen I'd had enough...I...I ran. I ended up in sector five and met you.”  
  
“Why were you sending money to them if they hurt you so much?”  
  
Reno shrugged, “I owe them. They're scum but...I'd've died if they hadn't found me. Anya made sure I was safe when she could, she tried. And...” Reno trailed off, shaking his head, “They knew. They knew what I really was. They had...proof....of the things I did. I had to keep 'em quiet, ya know? If you'd found out...”   
  
Veld rubbed at his eyes, “If we'd found out before you'd started giving them money we could've helped you.”  
  
“How could I know that, yo? I didn't know you as well back then and...and I don't want you to know. I don't want you to _see_.”  
  
“See what?” Veld looked up, seeing Reno's slumped form but he just shook his head. Veld finally pulled out his phone and dialled, he listened to it ring a few times before Tseng picked up. “Take her out.” He said and hung up. Reno looked up, eyes wide.  
  
“No.” He shook his head, “No...if you do that-”  
  
“She's an Avalanche agent with sensitive material on a Shinra employee. She can't live. Her husband will be taken into custody, the president will decide his fate.”  
  
There were a few beats of silence before they both heard a gun shot. Reno winced, dropping his head into his hands.  
  
“She was blackmailing you,” Veld said calmly, “Whatever she had on you we'll find and erase. Everything you told me will not leave this room. You killed Peterson because he was working for Anya, he would have been unable to tell us anything anyway.”  
  
Reno took a shaky breath, “What about the others? The trafficking group?”  
  
Veld shook his head, “Shinra's investors will be very unhappy to discover we've been poking around in that mess.”   
  
“What?” Reno's eyes widened as he watched Veld stand and remove a key from his pocket.  
  
“Only the extremely rich can afford to buy human beings, Reno.” He whispered as he bent to unlock Reno's cuffs, “We don't go digging into those kinds of secrets. Blond women, especially, tend to go missing rather a lot in Midgar.”  
  
Reno swallowed but kept his mouth shut as the cuffs fell from his wrists and landed on the table. The president was renown for his preference of blond women.  
  
“You're free to go. I'll explain everything to the President. Just remember, you were too young to understand what was happening, you know _nothing_.”  
  
Reno nodded, rubbing his wrists as Veld left the room.  
  
XXX  
  
Tseng stared at the pictures on the screen before him. He tore his eyes away and walked across the room, rubbing at the side of his face. “This was her blackmail material?”  
  
“Yes.” Veld sighed, he looked at the image of a dark haired boy, huddled up on a bed. His face bore two red, crescent tattoo's on his cheekbones. “We'll get rid of them as best we can.”  
  
“But they were sold. The videos...” Tseng sounded sick, face a little grey.  
  
“It's all we can do.” Veld looked up at his second, his gaze assessing, “We don't tell Reno what we saw here. It'd upset him that we know.”  
  
“Of course sir.”  
  
Veld hit a button and the horrific images disappeared from the screen but they'd already etched themselves deep into Veld's mind. He picked up his phone and found a picture of his daughter, smiling and wearing a crown of woven daisy's. “We can't always save everyone, Tseng. It's a good idea to remember that.”  
  
Tseng looked at him and nodded, “I'm heading home for the night, is there anything else you need?”  
  
“No. Thank you Tseng.” He watched his second nod and leave the office. Veld sighed and dialed a number in his phone, he lifted it to his ear and closed his eyes.  
  
 _Hello, you've reached Elenor. I can't answer the phone right now-  
  
Daddy? Is it daddy?  
  
No dear, Daddy's busy. I can't answer the phone right now but please leave a message after the tone.  
  
_Veld dropped his hand from his phone, it clattered to the desk. He put both hands to his face and bowed his head.


End file.
